Shadow Ops: Red MercuryReview

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Can a console port beat the rush, on the heels of Rainbow Six 3?

By Hilary Goldstein

Zombie is known more for promising titles than great games. Spec Ops is a perfect example -- a game that could have been great, but failed to be. Shadow Ops: Red Mercury is, in essence, the latest version of Spec Ops. Unfortunately, Shadow Ops continues the tradition as a game that will likely leave you thinking of "what could have been." While there are moments that are truly pleasing, there's also some serious AI problems and odd design choices, although the PC version benefits from some boosted textures and more complex character models. While Shadow Ops is fun for the most part, it's a bit too flawed to be great. Better luck next time, gang.

Set, for the most part, in the Mideast, Shadow Ops begins roughly three-quarters of the way through the story and then works its way backwards after letting you witness a truly horrific moment. The story itself is pretty much standard Hollywood fluff, so expect betrayals and some stiff banter in the cut-scenes. It's passable, but nothing that will keep you gripped. Instead, it's up to the action to keep you hanging. And it probably will, despite everything that's wrong with the game.

Lean On MeShadow Ops makes use of standard first-person shooting techniques, but offers a very helpful lean function that actually is something other developers should rip off. Yes, lean has been used before, but it's very effective and even vital in ShOps. Unfortunately, the PC version only allows you to lean when you're zoomed in. This isn't too big of a problem, but it limits your vision. Since the enemies come in so hot and heavy, you'll be taking a lot of damage. It's everywhere and most sections of the large levels see you finding cover, leaning out and taking on enemies who storm in and generally take one of three different cover spots again and again. Cap one and another runs in to take his place. Once they stop coming, it's time to move forward to the next section, where the same situation plays out. You also can't toggle crouching, which makes things a bit difficult when you're trying to also zoom and lean around a corner.

Psst! You're Facing the Wrong Way You could shake things up by running at the enemy, but this can sometimes break the game as the AI doesn't seem ready to handle any deviation in the gameplan. Even when playing ShOps as it's meant to be played (hiding behind cover and taking out enemies slowly), there are AI blips where enemies will end up facing the wrong way or will throw grenades off walls and right back at themselves (oh, high comedy indeed), but when you try and do the unexpected the AI will often break down further.

However, the real AI problems come from your AI teammates, whom you'll have for about half of the missions. Your buddies can't be commanded, which is fine for any game, so long as they have some decent AI dictating their actions. But they don't. There's no friendly fire, so go ahead and shoot at your allies as much as you want, it doesn't matter. I can forgive that, but it seems that it's almost impossible for enemies to do your teammates harm. Numerous times I watched as grenades exploded at an ally's feet, only to watch these Supermen fail to even flinch.

Their invulnerability is coupled with some absolutely horrendous aim. It won't be long before you'll catch this lovely scene of your guy and an enemy standing, literally, two feet from each other, guns blazing. They never hit one another. Even G.I. Joe would have to laugh at these two. It's up to you to come up from behind and take out the foe. Sure, sometimes your guys do take down enemies, but they are mainly just window dressing, and who wants to dress their windows in a first-person shooter? All of this doesn't hurt the gameplay itself, as early on you'll learn to depend solely on yourself for success in each mission, but it's a big flaw that should not be in any game.